iPhone turns mobile into army knife

Bern -Phones are used for just about everything these days and now an inventor has taken this to the next level by creating a case that doubles up as a Swiss Army knife.

The TaskOne is fitted with 22 tools including a 1.8-inch wood saw, 2.5-inch removable knife and three screwdrivers. It also comes with a wire cutter and stripper, six Allen keys, two stands to enable a user to use the iPhone as a TV, a ruler, a bottle opener and pliers. All of the tools are made from stainless steel and the total weight of the TaskOne case is just 89g.

Addison Shelton, CEO at Task Lab who designed the TaskOne wanted to create a case which allowed him to have helpful tools to hand. The 30-year-old said: ‘My initial inspiration for the product came in late 2012. I own multiple multitools, but never carried them with me.

‘I wanted to design a product that would allow me to take my tools with me and never forget them at home. ‘The tools are made from 440C Stainless steel - a high-quality stainless steel. They are housed in an aluminium shell and connected to the phone via polycarbonate bands.’ TaskLab’s case comes in silver, black and red, and is available for the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and 5S.

It is made from aluminium and polycarbonate, and the case adds only 5mm to the thickness of the phone. The iPhone 4 and 4S versions cost $80 (£47), while the cases for the iPhone 5 and 5S cost $100 (£60).

TaskLab is currently selling the the iPhone 5 and 5S range at a reduced price of $75 (£45).

Shelton, from Glover, Vermont, regularly uses the knives on the case and feels it is the world’s most practical case. He added: ‘I use the knife all the time for small and large cutting tasks, but also use the Allen key quite frequently. ‘This is definitely the world’s most practical iPhone case. We are focused on manufacturing products that help connect digital and physical worlds.

‘Our smartphones help us with so many things, but they don’t give us the physical tools we need to interact with our physical world. ‘The knife locks in the stored position and is activated by a low-profile slider. It is certainly no more dangerous than your average pocket knife.’ Although the knife is available online, it is illegal in the UK to carry a knife or blade in public without good reason, unless it’s a knife with a folding blade 3-inches long or less - including a Swiss Army knife. Lock knives, knives with blades that can be locked when unfolded, are illegal to carry in public.